The invention relates to a system and method for simulating a web-up configuration of a press line in order to provide information to various components on the press line, such as a product tracking system or the lead-in section of a folder.
On a multicolor web-fed press line, a web of material (e.g. paper) is sequentially driven from a roll stand to one or more printing units and through a series of web processing stations. The web processing stations making up a given press line can vary. A given press line is typically set up to include a number of web processing stations which may or may not be used during a particular press run, or which are capable of being webbed up in different ways. A given press line is often capable of producing various types of printed product, depending on how the web is fed through the different processing stations.
A typical press line includes a roll stand holding one or more web rolls. The rolls can be spliced together on the fly as the web travels through the press line. The web is fed to the printing units, each of which is operable to apply a different color ink to the web in order to produce a multicolor image. Each printing unit includes a rotating printing cylinder and blanket cylinder, and may include two of each so as to be capable of printing on both sides of the web. A color registration unit is employed to maintain registration (alignment) between respective ink colors.
The web is typically routed through a thermal dryer which dries the ink and then to a series of chill rolls which operate to cool the web and set the ink. A coating unit applies silicone to the web. Subsequently, a slitter slits the web longitudinally (in a direction parallel to the direction of web movement) into two or more ribbons. The ribbons are directed to a folder where the ribbons are aligned one on top of the other. The folder operates to longitudinally fold the ribbons. The folder also includes a cutting unit which operates to cut the folded ribbons in a direction transverse to the direction-of web movement to produce a plurality of xe2x80x9csignaturesxe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9cbooksxe2x80x9d.
A cutoff control system operates to control the longitudinal position of the ribbons such that the ribbons are cut at the appropriate time in order to separate the repeating images on the ribbons. The folder may also include a delivery unit including a diverter section which operates to alternately load the signatures onto one or more conveyor lines. The signatures can be subsequently processed off-line into magazines or the like.
The above description of a typical press line and typical process may be varied by the way the web is fed through the various web processing stations. For example, a given press line may be capable of running either one or two webs. Further, the number of printing units used in a press run can be varied such that it is possible to print with either greater than or less than the standard four ink colors. Also, special colors and/or inks can be used. The web can be also slit in more than one location, or not slit at all. A folder may include one or more former boards (where the longitudinal fold occurs) such that different signatures can be produced during the same press run. Additionally, the lead-in section of a folder may permit the ribbons to be aligned with respect to each other in any of a number of ways in order to accommodate various page configurations as laid out on the printing cylinder. The signatures produced may include four, eight, or sixteen pages. Thus, depending on the printed product desired, a given press line can be webbed up in many different ways.
In order to monitor acceptable and unacceptable quality of the printed product, various product tracking systems have been developed. In one such system, different product tracking devices record certain events or conditions and the position where these events occur in order to correlate these events with the signatures at the end of the press line. The types of events and conditions that are monitored in order to provide useful information to the product tracking system include splices between paper rolls, tension problems, blanket washes, product blemishes, lateral web alignment, color registration, and so on. For example, during a long printing run, it is typically necessary to perform periodic blanket washes. The occurrence of a blanket wash is communicated to the product tracking system so that the signatures coming off the end of the press line which were produced during the blanket wash will be rejected as unacceptable product.
Previous product tracking systems required the lengths of various web paths to be measured and manually input into the system in order that proper tracking could take place for each impression printed on the web. Additionally, these systems required that the product tracking devices on the press line be specified for each particular press run in order to maintain proper correlation between the occurrence of certain events and the signatures produced corresponding to those events.
The invention provides a touch screen system for simulating the manner in which a press line is webbed up, i.e., the way that a paper web is drawn through the various rollers, printing units, and web processing stations comprising the press line. As previously discussed, the manner in which a press line is webbed up can vary in a great number of ways according to the type of printed product to be produced.
The touch screen system includes a computer and a touch screen responsive to input from a human operator. A CAD drawing of the press line is provided on the screen and includes a virtual web. The touch screen allows an operator to touch the area of the screen corresponding to the beginning of the virtual web, and pull the virtual web through the image of the press line on the screen to simulate the web-up of the press line. The touch screen system also includes an interface to the product tracking system. The computer is programmed to calculate actual web lengths based on the particular web-up configuration illustrated and to communicate that information along with the correct product tracking devices for each particular web-up configuration to the product tracking system.
The touch screen system can also be interfaced with a folder on the press line. A folder typically includes a lead-in section which includes several angle bars, various rollers, and compensators. Movement of an angle bar will move its associated ribbon laterally to the left or to the right. Movement of a compensator will advance or retard its associated ribbon in the longitudinal direction. The positions of the angle bars and compensators are selected according to the job to be run on the press line.
The ribbons are driven through the lead-in section to a draw section of the folder. The ordering of the ribbons in the lead-in section of the folder may be changed when the ribbons are delivered to the draw section of the folder.
The folder includes control switches, each of which is permanently associated with one of a plurality of ribbons at the draw section of the folder. The control switches are mapped to control the movement of its associated ribbon at the lead-in section of the folder. The touch screen system provides the control switches with appropriate mapping information based on the particular web-up configuration entered such that the control switches are mapped to directly control the movement of the ribbons at the draw section regardless of the way the web is webbed up through the lead-in section. The angle bars and compensators in the lead-in section are moved by motors which are controlled by the control switches. Thus, the control switches are mapped to appropriately control a ribbon""s associated angle bars or compensators based on the web-up configuration entered.
The control switches are mapped according to the web-up configuration entered in order to make it easier for an operator to use the switches without having to know the particular web-up configuration in the lead-in section. Thus, it is not necessary for the operator to know whether the angle bar associated with a particular ribbon is initially turned to the gear side or the operator side of the press. Additionally, it is not necessary for the operator to know how the ribbons are interleaved from the lead-in section to the draw section of the folder. Similarly, it is not necessary for the operator to know whether the compensator is webbed up from the left or from the right.
For example, a control switch will control the lateral movement of the top ribbon in the draw section of the folder regardless of how the ribbon is webbed through the lead-in section. The control switch associated with lateral movement of the top ribbon will move that ribbon correctly regardless of whether the ribbon""s associated angle bar in the lead-in section is initially turned to the gear side or to the operator side, and regardless of the ordering of the ribbons in the lead-in section of the folder. Similarly, the control switch associated with longitudinal movement of the top ribbon will be mapped to control the motor for the particular compensator associated with the top ribbon. The top ribbon will be advanced or retarded by moving the control switch in a particular direction regardless of the manner in which the web is webbed up through the compensator.
Other features and advantages of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon review of the following detailed description, claims and drawings.